Names In The News

Paris St. Germain's DAVID BECKHAM has topped the inaugural Goal.com 2013 Rich List with "a staggering net worth" of £175M ($261M). Beckham finished £59.5M ahead of Barcelona's LIONEL MESSI, whose worth is valued at £115.5M ($172M). Real Madrid's CRISTIANO RONALDO is third on the list, valued at £112M ($167M). Real Madrid's KAKA is fourth at £66.5M while Brazilian side Atlético Mineiro's RONALDINHO is fifth at £63M ($94M) (GOAL, 3/11). ... FIFA Exec Committee member VERNON MANILAL FERNANDO has been provisionally banned from taking part in any kind of national or int'l football-related activity for a maximum of 90 days (FIFA). REUTERS' Mike Collett reported Fernando has been a FIFA exec since '11 and was banned following a request by investigatory chamber Chair MICHAEL GARCIA and adjudicatory chair HANS-JOACHIM ECKERT (REUTERS, 3/11). ... Spanish journalist JOSE RAMON DE LA MORENA told radio station SER that Real Madrid coach JOSE MOURINHO agreed to a deal with the club back in January to leave the team after the season. Morena said, "Mourinho is leaving at the end of the season, it is the deal he has signed with Real Madrid two months ago" (AS, 3/11). ... Ferrari President LUCA CORDERO DI MONTEZEMOLO assured that driver FERNANDO ALONSO "would respect his contract" that has him stay with the F1 team until '15 (EFE, 3/11). ... Australian Football League Collingwood player TRAVIS CLOKE has been fined $1,000 by his club for "using the car park" of CEO GARY PERT "once too often." The All-Australian and premiership player "had been parking in Pert's spot on and off for more than a year" (THE AGE, 3/12). ... Former NBA player RENALDO BALKMAN was banned from the Philippines' professional basketball league for life after "choking a teammate in the middle of a game" (AFP, 3/11).

OBITUARIES: U.K. commentator and journalist TONY GUBBA has died after a short illness. He was 69. Gubba was "famous for his commentary and presenting" on "Match of the Day" with the BBC, but most recently worked on the ITV show "Dancing On Ice," which was first broadcast in '06. Gubba joined BBC Sport in '72, replacing DAVID COLEMAN as the presenter of the midweek sports program "Sportsnight" (LONDON TIMES, 3/11). ... Former Ligue 1 Marseille CFO PIERRE DUBITON died on Sunday at the age of 70 (AFP, 3/11).